


Empty Spaces Within the Heart

by Lazchan



Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 09:18:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8396089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lazchan/pseuds/Lazchan





	

The room was relatively quiet; there wasn't the sound of neighbors chattering or traffic passing by. There wasn't the routine he had built up over the years of sorting his trash and taking it out to the bins or going to the store to get the specials. He was in a room in the C3 headquarters; it had a set of bunk beds and its own kitchen, so it was somewhat of a normality, but it wasn’t home. 

He was in the kitchen, making food—he glanced at the plates awaiting the to be filled and his tension ran away slightly and a small smile was on his face. It was nice making food for two people. His uncle had rarely been home; when he did come home, it was rarely to stay before he was off again. He made sure that Mahiru had money, that he was doing well in school and happy. They always went out for food; his uncle had said it was 'simpler' than making Mahiru do more work when a kid shouldn't to and his uncle was a hopeless cook. 

It had been lonely before he had brought Kuro into his life and even if Kuro had just been the simple cat that he thought he had been at the start, it would have been less lonely for him. It wasn't like he stayed after school for his clubs anymore and while he hung out with his friends when he could, he had fretted about spending money that could have better been used for groceries or clothes or fees for school trips that couldn't be avoided. 

He glanced toward the bedroom, where the sound of a videogame could be heard. Kuro was probably laying in a mass of pillows (some had had stolen from his brother and various rooms and Mahiru) video game in hands and half asleep as usual. He'd wake up for the food and only because he didn't want to get his 'fort' dirty with grease or crumbs, would he sit at the table across from Mahiru. At least that was what he said and whatever the reason, Mahiru was grateful for it. 

He felt his eyes sting; he would blame the steam or the onions or any number of things if anyone was watching him to call him out on it, but to himself, he'd admit that he was pushing away guilt. Starting from dragging Kuro headlong into the family and life he had wanted to avoid, to bringing him to C3, a place that avidly hated vampires and had been the ones to force the servamps to eradicate their creator. The place that did experiments on vampires, but Mahiru hoped could find the answers to make the servamps themselves again.  

The sound of the video game paused for a moment and Kuro appeared in the doorway, watching Mahiru quietly, but his gaze was intense and questioning and Mahiru turned away, poking at the meat, before quickly putting it on a plate and getting the rice ready. "You have good timing," he teased him. "You must have a sense for when dinner is ready." 

Kuro snorted and slumped over Mahiru's shoulder, video game held loosely in one hand. "You're thinking about something stupid again," he said, not even rising to Mahiru's bait. 

Mahiru stared back at him in surprise, gently pushing Kuro away so that he could grab the plates easier without dropping anything. "Wha… what do you mean?" he asked, brow furrowed. He hadn't been speaking out loud, had he? His cheeks flushed a little; he had thought that he had broken that habit he was no longer alone and had to fill up empty space. 

Kuro sighed and pulled his plate close to him as he slumped over the table. "What a pain," he muttered. "Mahiru… " he closed his eyes a moment, obviously searching for the words. "You know our contract bond has gotten… closer, right?" he asked. It had gotten much closer after Mahiru had gone literally into Kuro's head to save him, but it had slowly been growing closer before that. 

Mahiru tilted his head and took a moment to think about what Kuro as really saying and then his face burned. "You mean…you can read my mind?" he demanded. "Why didn't you say something before?" Not that he had even tried with Kuro; he respected his privacy too much to pry, even when the demon that was inside of Kuro had taunted him to crack Kuro's secrets open. 

Kuro made a face. "Sometimes," he admitted, but his eyes met Mahiru's. "Just like you can with mine. This one… was sort of an echo, though. Just—feelings," he admitted. He hesitated and looked away, poking at his food. "What's … what's wrong?" 

Mahiru stared down at his own food. It would be so _simple_ to just admit it and Kuro deserved the answer, too, but—it was also hard to speak up about his own insecurities, because he didn’t want to add to Kuro's. Still—keeping it all bottled in rarely did anybody any good at all. He decided to tell part of it and hoped the rest would come out. 

"I… was just thinking that—that before you came…." He had to be careful with this; he knew all too well how deeply hurt Kuro was still. The locked memories that lay within Kuro's mind were plentiful and all had radiated hurt. He felt guilty for Mahiru's life and he belatedly realized that Kuro had never outright said it, it had been a _feeling_. 

Kuro just watched him, slowly eating his food, but being patient as Mahiru tried to get the words out. "It was lonely," he admitted, cheeks hot from saying it so bluntly. It hadn't been better or worse—it had been his life. Get up, make breakfast and lunch and go to school—day by day. There had been his classmates to talk to and occasional text messages and emails, but the apartment had been echoingly quiet. "I was thinking about… the differences." 

Kuro looked up at him, surprise written all over his face at Mahiru's admission. Mahiru couldn't really blame him; when Kuro had first dropped into his life, all Mahiru had done was yell at him for being where he shouldn't, making messes that Mahiru didn't make and had to clean up, for being a nuisance. 

"I… even with all the mess," Mahiru managed a smile. There had been so many messes at the beginning, where he was literally trying to vacuum Kuro to clean him up. "I wouldn't ever change it for the world, Kuro. I… I'm really happy that you're …that you…" he bit his lip. Not that they were _here_ , in what could have been enemy territory, based on their first visit. "I'm glad you're with me." 

Kuro's own face turned a little red at Mahiru's words and he stopped focusing on his food altogether to give Mahiru a disbelieving look. "… you're caught up in vampires and you're chained to me for the rest of your _life_ , Mahiru." His surprise at the words was almost tangible. "That's not very simple of a life. How can you be happy?" His hand went up to touch the bell that Mahiru had given him; something that had been intended for a pet cat, never an immortal vampire.

Mahiru took a bite of food, a little more calm now that he had gotten the words out, even if his cheeks were still burning from telling Kuro something so bold. "It was my choice, Kuro," he said easily. "I was the one that made the decision to make a contract with you." He managed a grin. "Not as much of a pain to work with me now?" 

Kuro snorted at that. "Yes, Mahiru," he said slowly. "It's actually not a pain to drink your blood." Even if Mahiru had finally realized that Kuro didn't actually need it to be powerful with his chosen Eve. His one hand hadn't let go of the bell and Mahiru could hear the faint ringing sound as Kuro fidgeted. "I'm glad you made the contract." 

Now it was Mahiru who was surprised and Kuro just shrugged. _It was all so tiring to say so much._ _We’re more alike than you think…_ Mahiru tried to keep the shock of his face at picking up Kuro's thoughts so clearly; Kuro was so good at hiding them, but Mahiru didn't think he was meant to pick that up, especially the last thought. _I was lonely, too._  

Mahiru's smile was brighter, though and he reached out Kuro and grabbed the empty plate, letting the vampire slump over the table without anything to impede his way. "After I clean up, do you want to go see any of your family?" he asked. 

Kuro made a face, but there was that small hint of a smile on his face. No matter what he had said in the past about them and how much pain still lingered, there was that small amount of joy at reclaiming something so long ago lost. "Sure, Mahiru," he murmured. It was nice spending time with just each other, but now they had a wider range of people to connect and in Kuro's case, reconnect to. 

As utterly bizarre at the situation was and the people moreso, Mahiru fit in with the servamps and their eves with little problem at all; no matter his complaining at the start. He was just as weird as they were, in his own way. 

They were a type of family and he realized as he cleaned up the mess from dinner, he wouldn't ever be lonely again.


End file.
